Today, it’s exactly three weeks since the Book Launch for my eBook MAKING HEADLINES and life has been so crazy since I let it loose on the world, that I’ve only just got around to Blogging about the actual night.
Prior to the launch, I wrote a post about my indecision as to whether I should hold a party or not. Post-party, I can say without a doubt – I am absolutely thrilled I went ahead with the night and will hold it dear as one of the most significant events in memory.
Yep – that’s a big statement, so let me explain. To me, it was a celebration of a project that I was passionate about. So much so, that despite having many major hurdles and doubts along the way, I saw it through to the end, allowing it to absorb a huge part of my life. The ultimate goal was to have the book published, so I could share this story with the world and hopefully provide a tale that would engage, entertain and also offer a few insights into an unusual world. To have the book be given the tick of approval by a major well-respected publisher – Harper Collins – is, for me, a major achievement and something well worth celebrating. On the night, everyone who is an important part of my life and who was able to be there, turned up to celebrate with me and the room was filled with the most wonderful, supportive energy. So many people commented on what a happy evening it was – and that’s exactly how it felt for me too.
The venue, at HOTEL BRIGHTON, was perfect, with the upstairs function area providing a classy and intimate environment – as well as fabulous food and service. I’d highly recommend it to anyone looking to host a private function! There was also a screen so we could show my Book Trailer.
Big thanks to everyone for coming and helping to make it such a special occasion. Especially to my dear friends Brigitte Duclos and Mitch Catlin who took on the roles of MC and interviewer respectively, making it much a more entertaining night than if I’d been up there in front of everyone on my own!
As well, a huge debt of gratitude to our friends and Fletch’s NEIGHBOURS fellow cast members for coming along and helping garner media support – and for hamming it up beautifully for the cameras. Here are some of the best shots from these wonderful people:
Here’s some of my speech from the night, along with some photos from the evening:
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“I could never have come this far without the help of an incredible writing teacher and she’s here tonight. Thank you SO much to Olga Lorenzo from the RMIT Writing course. Olga taught the Creative Writing unit and I studied with her for three years. I could not have finished this book without her invaluable input and guidance.
Olga is also herself an acclaimed and brilliant writer and has her second novel THE LIGHT ON THE WATER coming out in a few weeks, (TODAY!) so congratulations Olga – I can’t wait to read it.
A big thank you as well to all my fellow students at RMIT who gave me valuable feedback during work-shopping sessions in class. In particular, to my friends that grew from that course to develop our own writers’ group – to Ann Bolch, Lisa Bigelow, Kaye Holder and Clare Strahan.
An extra special thank you to Ann Bolch who also worked as the first editor of the completed manuscript and did a superb job. If you ever need a good editor, Ann is exceptionally talented and very, very wise.
As well as the Writer’s Group, two of my friends and my sister took the time and effort to read early drafts. Thank you to Jill and Rick Molinsky for your encouragement and support.
Also a huge thank you to my dear, wicked, gorgeous, talented, close friend, Rochelle Nolan, who is sadly no longer with us. Rochy was always my biggest supporter, read an early draft of the book and pepped me up whenever I was feeling negative about my writing. I wish she could have been here to see the book in its final published form. I miss her every day.
To my dear friend and stepsister, Sian Prior, another superbly talented writer, who inspired me to take up the RMIT PWE course in the first place.
To my wonderful friend and author Ellie Nielsen, who also not only encouraged me to take up the RMIT course, but inspired me with her own book ‘Buying A Piece of Paris’ and then invited me to that very apartment where we shared what was ostensibly a writing sabbatical but also involved plenty of champagne in the work-shopping of ideas, lively conversation and literary debate.
To my work colleagues at Smoothfm; to Jane Elliot for her help on the publicity front and to Mike Perso, for his amazing and enthusiastic on-air support.
To Harper Collins; for agreeing to publish this work; in particular, Mary Rennie for going above and beyond in managing to take this book to the next level from its original draft.
To my parents and step-parents; Mum and Ken, Dad and Margot, for their never-ending encouragement and support.
And lastly, to my immediate family – my husband, Alan, and two children, Veronica and Tom. I am very much indebted to you all for putting up with my absences while I was holed up in my office, writing. For understanding that when I disappeared into ‘Book World’ I should not be interrupted.
To Alan, for his patience and love throughout; to Tom for actually reading the first few chapters and proving to that me he will one day be the best writer in the family; and to Veronica for finding great words to replace the rude ones.
My beautiful children Veronica and Tom, with Tom’s gorgeous girlfriend Carrington Hannah
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So that was my night of nights! Again, thank you to all who came and to all who have since bought the book online. Thanks also for the continuing social media support. If you forgot to post something on social media on the night, please retweet this Blog to help get word out about the book. The more it sells, the more chance I have of it being printed as a hard-copy book!
Last week on Valentine’s Day, I was busy rehearsing some lines I was going to use as MC at a fund-raising function. It was the first time I’d MC’d an event where I was also on the organising committee, so there were twice as many reasons for hoping it was going to be a ripper of a night. And thankfully it was.
Called ‘The Sisterhood’, the committee did a brilliant job reaching out to Melbourne’s movers and shakers and getting them to come along and help raise much-needed funds for the cardiac research unit at St Vincent’s Hospital. As you might know, heart disease is still the biggest killer of all (when it comes to health matters) in Australia.
I’m not going to bang on about what a fab time everyone had, because if you weren’t there, then that’s just plain dull. But I do want to thank a few people who deserve special mention for going above and beyond the call of duty. And to a handful of those people, you have been elevated to hero status in my eyes and I will forever be indebted to you. Thank you. A million times – thank you.
The Deck at The Prince in St Kilda. This stunning venue was made available through the generosity of The Melbourne Pub Group. Definitely the best place in Melbourne to stage a glamour party!
Laurent Perrier for making our special champagne raffle draw possible. Easy to sell tickets when people know they’re getting a glass of such fine bubbles!
Also, to the many wonderful friends and family who bought tickets, some dipping into their pockets despite tight budgets, AND to those with enormous work loads who came despite tight schedules, AND to those whose companies also donated products for goodie bags – sending you all the biggest of hugs and thanks… xxxxxx
And to Natalie Bassingthwaighte and Cameron McGlinchey who came despite Nat not feeling her most comfortable right now, due to the exciting news of a second baby on the way!
And a HUGE thank you to my gorgeous, amazing and supportive husband, Fletch, who helped enormously on the night. Not only did he rally the crowd, using his best theatrical voice, when we needed everyone inside for speeches or the auction – he ALSO sang a number with Melissa Bergland, proving – one again – he is indeed a man of MANY talents.
THE HEROES
For me, there were also several heroes on the night – those who proved to be outstanding human beings for many reasons. Here they are:
(1) Andrew Newcomb, the Deputy Director of Cardiothoracic Surgery at St Vincent’s Hospital. This man is a medical genius. He spoke on the night about the breakthroughs in heart surgery taking place RIGHT NOW which means we all look to him in awe. He’s performed five ground-breaking operations since December, which will revolutionise the way aortic valve replacement surgery is performed, making patients’ recovery times quicker and easier.
(2) Kristen Kennedy is one of The Sisterhood committee members. Kristen also spoke on the night, and it was one of the most heartfelt and brave speeches I’ve ever heard. Kristen took some time to decide in the weeks before the event, whether it was something she would be able to do. You will understand why… Kristen talked about the tragic loss of her brother, Andrew, who died at just 36 years of age from a Sudden Arrhythmic episode only 18 months ago. Her words reminded everyone that heart disease doesn’t discriminate in terms of age and is an issue that affects us all.
(3) Melissa Bergland is not only a super-talented actress whom most of you will instantly recognise from the hit TV show Winners and Losers – she has a powerhouse voice! Melissa kindly agreed to sing on the night – DONATING HER TIME – which was incredibly generous. PLUS she is working very long hours on the show right now and had to start the next morning at FIVE AM!!! Definitely a hero in my book. Thank you Melissa!
(4) My anonymous Guardian Angel. A special friend, who doesn’t wish to be named, made an incredibly generous donation as well as proving to be an enormously special and supportive friend. Darling, I love you – thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Rachel Holland with friend, Julian Gerner, Melbourne Pub Group
(5) Rachel Holland was the chair-person of The Sisterhood committee, for this – our second event. I’ve always known she was smart and efficient (she is a lawyer, after all…) but Rachel’s work for this Valentine’s Day event went WAY above and beyond the call of duty. She and her husband Nick are also expecting their first baby, so she took on this extra workload while also dealing with first pregnancy issues and running her own successful on-line jewellery business, Eclektica. (ECLEKTICA.com) Rach, you are a legend and a wonderful friend. Thank you for everything!
Finally, it has to be said. None of this would have happened without the dedication and hard work of all my ‘sisters’ in The Sisterhood Committee. Special mentions for outstanding effort goes to Amber Petty, Kate McGrath and Sarah Kennedy. Well done, girls!
I’m fascinated when people make dramatic career changes in their lives. Like when my super-bright cousin David studied medicine for six years, completed his internship then gave it all away to become an airline pilot. Or when a cameraman buddy became a professional artist and another friend switched from being a motor mechanic to an IT specialist. It seems to be an increasing trend. Statistically, we’re all living a lot longer, so it’s unlikely the career you started fresh out of school will be the one you finish up with. And I’m intrigued by HOW people switch from one to another and why? Perhaps we can all learn something from those who do. As a result, I’ve prepared a series of Inspirational Life Changes stories. These are interviews with people who have done just that – switched from one career to another, or are in the process of doing so.
Maybe it’s because I’m getting older, but it seems everyone you talk to these days has some kind of neck or back issue. I suffered a prolapsed disc in my lower back about ten years ago and have been trying out different therapies and therapists ever since.
(Keep reading till the end for a great self-help tip!)
When we first met, Remedial Massage Therapist Cecilia Low was a professional dancer and performer – mostly in musical theatre. Super fit and super-toned, I always admired her dedication to her craft and her trim physique. Just look at these photos and you’ll see what I mean.
Dancer Cecilia Low. Photography by Sylvi Kreinberg
Several years later, a mutual friend told us that Cecilia (or Ci, as we call her) had completed a professional remedial massage course and asked if we’d like to visit her for a treatment. Fletch also has some niggling back issues, so we shrugged our aching shoulders and said, ‘Yeah, why not? What’s one more?’ But we didn’t have high expectations – she was a beginner, right?
Wrong. While there weren’t any miracles as such, I have to say that Ci gives the firmest and most beneficial massage I’ve ever experienced. I’m now a regular client. Ci seems to have an intuitive touch; instinctively finding the exact spots where the knots and aches lie, and then those magical hands get to work and ease out the pain.
But given her success in the theatre, with more than ten years of continuous work, I was curious to learn why she’d switched careers.
‘I’d always had a fascination with the healing arts from a young age,’ she said as we sat down to chat after I’d had a massage. We sipped fresh coconut water as we spoke. (That’s another lovely touch Ci adds to her service. After every session you are given a small glass of fresh coconut juice to help re-hydrate.)
‘Just from dancing, I’d had to visit many therapists, osteopaths and chiropractors, so I’ve always been very accustomed to it and seen how beneficial it is for the body to function. Then about half-way through my career I did try to study massage, but I was travelling around a lot, performing, and realized I couldn’t manage both.’
The pivotal moment came when Ci felt the need for change. She’d been working in musical theatre for a long time and was physically tired.
So was the constant travelling a problem for her?
‘Maybe it’s the dancer in me, but no, I didn’t mind the moving around. I think you can make any place just like home, wherever you are. That didn’t bother me.’
Dancer Cecilia Low. Photography by Sylvi Kreinberg
Perhaps she becoming bored with dance?
‘No, dancing is my passion. I sing too, but I’m a dancer first. I feel very blessed, very lucky, to have done that and that’s given me amazing strength and stamina in many other ways.’
So what WAS the reason?
‘It was more the fact that I was beginning to feel limited in my mind and the skills that I could offer to the world, to people. I was only seeing myself as a dancer. And I felt there was so much more I could offer and I wanted to use my brain more.’
The answer – Ci returned to school, attending the Australian College of Sports Therapy in Melbourne where she earned a Diploma of Remedial Massage. It took more than a year and a half of intense studying and the first few months were the toughest.
‘Ah yes,’ she sighed. ‘We went right back to the basics. Chemistry, bio-chemistry, physics, nutrition. My brain was hurting. The first three months was a massive culture shock, juggling jobs and studies. But once I got over that, I was hungry for more.’ Her face brightened. ‘Then the time passed really quickly and I couldn’t get enough. I’m sure I’ll do more studying in the future. It was great!’
It’s not surprising that Ci ended up working in two careers that focus on the human body. It’s probably in her genes. Ci’s father, Vernon Low, was the first person to introduce the Korean martial art Taekwondo to Australia in the 1960s. (www.firsttaekwondon.com.au) I asked her whether she thought her father had been an influence in her career choices.
‘Definitely, most definitely,’ she said. ‘It’s in the blood I think. Some people hear the world, others see it visually. We all have different ways we perceive life. I think I definitely feel the world through my body first. I’ve been dancing since the age of five and I know I’m a happier, more wholesome person when I’m using my body. After leaving the dance world, I didn’t do much dance for about four years and I really struggled. Mentally, I didn’t want to admit that, but I know, now, I need that. And while massage isn’t dance, it is very physical and I treat it like a gym session I guess! There’s only a certain life span a dancer can have at that level. But yes, it is in the blood and I think my Dad lives in me every day in that aspect.’
Given that Ci has also experienced many massage treatments herself over the years, I wanted to know what she thought defined a good remedial massage therapist.
‘Someone who is able to listen and have compassion, while also being very professional and enabling the client to empower themselves and to take control of their pain levels. To learn about their own bodies,’ she said.
I made a comment that I believed she had intuitive hands and wondered whether her talent was something one could learn or was it a gift?
‘I think we’re all intuitive beings,’ she said. ‘It’s really about how open you are to your intuition. But it is also a skill you can learn too. I’m all for New Age things, but I like to balance it with practicality and science as well.’
‘The main focus for me, the type of massage I do, is to use of lot of movement in the treatments as I believe movement is the key to releasing tension and keeping the body pain-free. I guess this goes back to my dance background for sure.’
So now Ci has a different passion in life. The Remedial Massage Therapy course has given her a new vocation – one she finds wholly rewarding. ‘I think every time I massage someone, I feel very honoured. Honoured that they are entrusting themselves to me. It’s quite an intimate experience – one-on-one – it’s physical and there’s a lot of trust on both sides. But I feel very honoured that someone can come to me with their problems and I might be able to help.’
And now the bit I think could really help all of us!
Ci also believes we can help relieve our OWN aches and pains with our OWN hands. That’s not to say she’ll be doing herself out of a job. More to the point, she’s establishing a series of BACK CARE WORKSHOPS so that clients might be able to find some relief in-between treatments.
‘I came up with the concept because I believe it is possible to do your own body maintenance. I believe it will also probably make my job a little bit easier. I see a lot of chronic back pain and tension – a lot of on-going pain. The course will help people maintain themselves by dealing with things like the strain you get in your neck from sitting at the computer all day, or that niggling pain between your shoulder blades.’
Ci will also show clients how to use various tools at home that could help. ‘People often ask me things like, I have a foam roller, how do I use it? We’ll also look at how you can use simple things at home, like a tennis ball, to help. It’s about teaching people about the different kinds of pain and how to deal with it. How to use different techniques using your hands and thumbs to stave off those niggling issues.’
Sounds brilliant! The first of these workshops takes place in November, along with a session from a pilates instructor Wade Edewell from The Pilates Cottage www.thepilatescottage.com.au. Ci is also planning couples’ workshops for the future.
If you’d like to know more about Ci’s BACK CARE WORKSHOP, visit her website at www.cicure.com.au
Or to book an extremely amazing remedial massage session, email her at [email protected] or phone her on 0414 640 052.
Ci works one day a week at City Osteopathy in the city and other days at ‘Energize and Recharge Studios’ in Elwood.
I’m not the only one who believes Ci is a first-rate therapist. Uber-cool rockstar and X-Factor host Natalie Bassingthwaighte is also happy to sing Ci’s praises. Plus you can check out other opinions at WOMO – wordofmouth.com for some great reviews.
(Disclaimer: Because the matter of ‘disclosure’ in blogging was intelligently discussed in the wonderful blog ‘Woogsworld’ by Mrs Woog today, I feel the urge to say, again, I am NOT paid for any of the interviews or products I have covered. I have paid for all my massage treatments with Ci and will continue to do so. I will let you know if and when I ever get freebies. Basically I just want to recommend stuff I genuinely think will help you. And I DID tell you about the Goodie Bags in an earlier story – of course they were free! )
